University of Oregon: Not to collect $20 million dollars from the Gabonese people

Gabon, a rich oil producing country of Central Africa with a population of less than 1.5 million, has the same fate as many African nations: dictatorship, corruption, bad governance, exploitation and the list goes on. Despite the enormous profit that the government makes from natural resources, more than 60% of Gabonese people live under $2 a day, struggling on a daily basis to get the most basic Human needs such as food, water, shelter, healthcare and education.

The University of Omar Bongo, the only public university of Gabon named after the bloody late dictator who ruled Gabon for 41 years, the father of the current president Ali Bongo (who took over by force after his father passed away), is one of the worse universities in Africa. Lacking governments funds, infrastructures, teachers and research facilities, this university is a shame to the word. Every semester, Gabonese students are tear-gazed and arbitrarily arrested during strikes while asking their minister of education to provide them with the basic minimum to study as decent human beings. Yet, nothing has been done to improve their condition and their numerous cry outs have been ignored and their attempts to fight back have been severely sanctioned and repressed.

Surprisingly, among its numerous money wasting operations, the government of Gabon have decided to donnate 20 million dollars to, according to them, establish a partnership program that will conduct sustainable development research in Gabon. 20 million dollars that can actually help develop Gabon if well allocated to the only public university that Gabon has ever had. $20 millions that can train thousands of Gabonese in the best universities in the world or that can be invested in bettering the life of the million and a half people of Gabon.

No one should close an eye on such a cynycal and inhumane donation and University of Oregon must not accept the money stolen from poor people who can barely eat and drink clean water. It is not only unfair and unethical, but also insulting to the people of Gabon.

And because I believe that the University of Oregon can, if it desires to assist Gabon and the noble people of Gabon to have a better future and life, do it without taking away from them the very the little that they have, but that their irresponsible government is mismanaging, I am initiating this petition on Change.org

University of Oregon will not die from not receiving $20 millions from the Government of Gabon. But more than a million people will suffer, and a child will die of malaria, aids, tuberculosis, diarrhea (as well as all the other poverty related diseases) that plague under-developed countries, every minute for the whole amount of time that this partnership will last if University of Oregon, shamelessly accept the $20 millions that belong to the poor people of Gabon.

Please, stop such a shameful action and contribute in stopping irresponsible corrupted governments from covering their "lobbying tryna look good" fantasies through useless grants paid by the blood of their people. Have University of Oregon reject the funds and have that money allocated to the University of Omar Bongo and provide a more honorable education to the youths of Gabon.